The cruel one, the cruel duo
by Mreedfox
Summary: Ever wonder where the baddies go and who they meet at the end of their lives. Or if things were just a little different in the end. One fox's journey to the edge and back again. Based on, but not true to the events of Redwall and Mattimeo. Rated M for vio
1. prologue

It was a beautiful summer morning in mossflower woods, with dew still on the leaves. A fox was running for his already messed up life through this forest, mud spraying after last night's rain. A badger wasn't too far behind him. "YOU'RE GONNA FUCING PAYYY!" the words wafted through the forest. This only caused the fox to run faster. "How does she know where I'm going," he thought out loud. After all its fear that gives men wings. The badger's earth shaking footfalls were getting closer and closer by the second. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Where am I running to," he thought.

Thump, Thump, Thump, just as he thought the badger would land on him he saw an old hollowed out tree. The fox changed his course and made a dive for the hole. To his surprise the floor of the dead tree was sunken into the ground. He sat down and forced his body between two roots. He then noticed that his bag of loot was still sitting in the entrance of the small cave. The fox grabbed the bag and dragged it into the cave and set it on his right side. The crashing rampage and flying leaves of the badger pounded past the fox's hiding spot.

However the fox could feel a growing presence in the cave. Then he heard a low, menacing hiss. He then set his hand on cold scaly skin. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness he felt his world go silent. "Hello there, yawn little foxy. Two large reptilian eyes suddenly captivated the fox. "Today, you die." The head of a death adder flew and struck at his exposed neck. But something caused the fox to flinch, causing the adder's thangs to miss his throat and major arteries. The snake recoiled its head and slithered away through a small hole in the tree.

The pain came in a wave to his entire neck where the venom was injected. He knew that he only had a few minutes to live, then the adder would come back and swallow him whole. He felt a lone tear trickle down his cheek and drain into the wound, causing it to burn. Then he had a feeling of nostalgia about his hiding spot. "Where do I remember this tree fro…, wait, the tree, this is practically my back yard!"

He felt suddenly rejuvenated and got up out of his hiding spot. He then broke into a reckless sprint and ran for home. The fox was now crashing through the forest's many bushes and shrubs. Another animal was crashing through the forest in hot pursuit of the fox. He thought he felt the venom doing its damage, but he kept pounding on. Two large redwood trees towered over the surrounding landscape. In between the two trees sat a small wooden house made of various logs.

Smashing through the front door he looked around and saw a round rug on the floor. He lifted it up and pulled on a small handle. A trap door was lifted and revealed an opening scantly large enough for a mouse to fit through. He then sat down and lowered his rather thin body through the hole and shut the trap door. The fox now stood in a small root cellar. There was a row of shelves on the right side of the room, and a small bed on the left.

He started looking for herbs, when a small bottle caught his eye, a hand etched label on the side. "Veenum nuetrelizzr," he said to himself. Then he remembered that the bottle came from an old healer ferret that lived at a sandstone quarry with bad spelling. "Venom Neutralizer!" he almost yelled. The fox had heard of this miracle potion before. "But how much do I use." He took out the cork and let a few drops fall into a fang hole. The pain increased tenfold, causing him to make a noise that was a cross between a hiss and a scream. He did it 3 more times, in each fang hole, holding his muzzle shut to not give away his position to the pursuing creatures.

The natural oils in the dock leaves he used would stop any infection from occurring. He then wrapped a white bandage around his neck and hobbled over to the small bed. The fox fell back onto the beds inviting linens and instantly fell into a troubled and eternal sleep. After all, barely 5 minutes ago, Chickenhound the fox had killed Brother Methuselah, Redwall abbey's recorder and gatekepper, in cold blood.


	2. Hellgates

From Chickenhound's POV

I fell asleep but my eyes never closed, but rather blinked me from one scene to another. The first thing that comes to my senses is a horrid smell, the smell of death. Then I see it, a gate enshrouded in fog. I am being drawn toward the gate, then I came to a stop. A figure, a fox appears before me, his paw placed on the handle of a broadsword that looked way too heavy for him to lift. "Vulpiz." The name came out of my mouth automatically.

"Ahhhhh, come here my little vulpine," the fox said. I was instantly drawn too about 5 meters away from Vulpiz. "Lets see what you did to come here," he said. I could feel Vulpiz's mind probing my brain. "Not much, not much,…… but it earns you a place here. Come Chickenhound," he said. "Not so fast." The voice came from my right. I then saw all the color drain from Vulpiz's face and his eyes go wide. Then as if on cue I blink and I am teleported to another scene.

original POV

Chickenhound found himself on the grounds of redwall abbey, the red sandstone walls standing tall above him. He also noted that the main building was on fire, with smoke pouring out of the two wooden doors of cavern hole. Around him the grass was stained red from the blood of the dead creatures strewn about. Then a bell tolled its death song as it split in two, the halves of it fell out of the bell tower windows.

"You see this,….this,….this is you,….and me." Chickenhound felt a paw grab his muzzle and gently pull his gaze down to the ground. There was a dead fox on the ground with a thick shipping rope around his neck. "He is dead because of you." Chickenhound looked up suddenly to see the speaker. He was surprised when he looked at a mirror image of himself. His other self kicked at the fox on the ground, rolling the body to reveal what was underneath.

The older vixen was Sela, Chickenhound's former mother. "But she is alive because of you," the other self said. "However her life will never be the same without him." Chickenhound felt his blood begin to boil at his other self's speech. A moments pause, then his other self spoke again. "Together we can bring him back and fix her life." The older fox now got off the ground and began to take in her surroundings.

"I just need some of your blood for this to work, one little drop will do," his other self said. "Don't listen to him," another speaker said. Chickenhound struggled to remember where he had heard the voice from. "Stay out of this mouse," his other self said. "He's trying to exploit you." "Just stay outta this, okay," Chickenhound's counterpart said. Chickenhound was genuinely confused now.

"Just one drop." Chickenhound's other self was holding a small knife now. The fox was now advancing on him, tossing the knife from one paw to the other. "Do you have to make it this hard?" he said. Then he charged the fox, his small knife in paw. The speaker behind him grabbed Chickenhound's left paw with a suprising force. He was pivoted around on one footpaw and dragged off.

"Move!" the speaker said. "There's no escape," Chickenhound's other self said, letting the words slip off his tounge. He then brought down his knife with suprising accuracy on Chickenhound's right wrist, slashing through all the arteries. A magnificent spray of crimson flew in every direction. "Don't let you're blood touch him," the small mouse that was dragging him said.

Chickenhound watched in a strange facination as one little drop of life fluid landed on his other selves outstrecthed claw, an evil smile spreading across his face. His gaze was suddenly cut short as he was forced into a sprint toward a small wooden door. The small creature lifted up one of his paws and blasted away the small wooden door. They were now sprinting down the path to Saint Ninians church.

"Argg, I'm gonna bleed to death!" Chickenhound screetched at the old creature. "Take a look at it!" The mouse yelled back. He looked at the wound across his wrist and it was completely healed. "What the…!" Chickenhound yelled. The old mouse sprinted harder with the fox in tow. "Where we goin!" he yelled. The old mouse tightened his grip on Chickenhound's arm and sprinted harder.

The church came into view suddenly. The mouse dragged Chickenhound through the dense forest to the edge of the church yard. There they croutched down behind a fallen pine tree. "We're a little early," the creature said. A long silence fallowed until one of them had to speak. "Am I in hell?" Chickenhound said. "Not really," the old mouse said. "And who are you?" The old mouse showed his face to the fox.


End file.
